Post Doctoral Master of Science
and Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research
University of Puerto Rico

Medical Sciences Campus

 


 











 

NOTE: We are not offering the Graduate Certificate at this moment.

The University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus (UPR-MSC) is a minority institution with strong MD and PhD academic programs for the development of doctors and researchers in several science disciplines respectively. The mission of the UPR-MSC is to become a recognized and well-established research institution through the advancement of science and technology. In accordance with this mission, in 2011, the School of Health Professions and the School of Medicine joined to establish the only multidisciplinary academic degree supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that offers formal training and career development in clinical and translational research on the island.

 The curriculum of the post-doctoral Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSc) was developed with the support of a one-year planning grant awarded in 2001 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Planning Grant for Clinical Research Training in Minority Institutions RFA-AR-00-009 and implemented with a five year grant obtained from NIH Clinical Research Education and Career Development (CRECD) in Minority Institutions under RFA-AR-01-009.  This grant, R25 RR17589, was approved on September 29, 2002 for five years and the 1st class of scholars was admitted on 2003.  The grant was approved for a second and a third cycle of 5 years, from 2007-2012 and from 2012 – 2017 (R25MD007607/ R25RR017589) respectively.

In 2008, both Schools joined again in a successful effort and obtained an Endowment of 15 million from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) entitled:  “HISPANICS-IN-RESEARCH CAPABILITY: SoHP  & SoM Partnership (HIREC), with the mission to expand and sustain high quality clinical and translational research training program and research infrastructure that will enhance minority health and increase health disparities research activities. One of HiREC’s main activities was to develop a proposal for a curricular revision of the MSc to include the core competencies defined by NIH for a graduate degree in clinical and translational sciences. The curricular revision was approved by the UPR Board of Trustees to start August 2012 with its first class, Scholars 2012. The program to be offered starting in August 2012 is a post-doctoral Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research.

The post-doctoral Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research provides scholars the opportunity to integrate a didactic curriculum with a mentor-based research experience to become independently funded and committed clinical researchers. The program’s mission is to promote the development of multidisciplinary clinical scientific teams working in collaboration toward the attainment of two common goals: improvement in quality of life and decrease health disparities.

The post-doctoral master program targets specific health conditions of high priority to the Hispanic population based on the mortality and morbidity trends in Puerto Rico. The Scholars research projects are focus on the following research priority areas: 1) Drug abuse and addiction, including:  HIV, alcohol and tobacco; 2) aging related conditions; 3) reproductive medicine; 4) bone, joints, muscles and skin diseases; 5) cancer; 6) metabolic diseases, 7) cardiovascular diseases; 8) respiratory diseases; 9) mental health and 10) oral health. 

Since the program started in 2003 it has admitted 60 Scholars from multiple disciplines and specializations which are distributed as follows: 29 medical doctors, 12 from dental medicine, 4 from allied health, 3 from public health, 1 from pharmacy and 11 PhD´s.

The Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico (MSC-UPR), joined in partnership with Mayo Clinic at Rochester, San Juan Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, the Puerto Rico Department of Health and other local and national institutions to increase the depth and breadth of training opportunities and improve the overall quality of the educational experience. Training faculty from different disciplines in focused, specific, relevant and critical health issues will allow more research interactions among disciplines, enhancing team approach to problem solving and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. It is expected that a successful program will produce well-trained researchers who can lead successful clinical and translational research projects.

For More Information Contact:

Estela S. Estape, MT, PhD
Dean and Director
Clinical Research Programs
School of Health Professions
Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico
GPO Box 365067
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067
Tel. 787-758-9265
Fax: 787-764-1760
Email: estela.estape@upr.edu

 

Send mail to eliel.melon@upr.edu  with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2011 Post-Doctoral Master in Clinical Research
Website Updated every friday.
Last modified: 11/28/11